Apparatus for distilling hydrocarbons



March 16 1926. 1,576,564

' F. E. WELLMAN APPARATUS FOR DI STILLING HYDROCARBONS Filed June 5. 2

Qnoehfoi Mk P atented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.FRANK E. WELLMAN, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE KANSAS CITYGASOLINE COMPANY, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS, A CORPORATION OF KANSAS.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING HYDROCARBONS.

Application filed June 3',

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. WELLMAN, citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Wyandotte and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forDistilling Hydrocarbons, of which the following is aspecificatiom'reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to systems. for the treatment of hydrocarbon oilsfor the production of gasoline. It has for its objects the improvementin apparatus for fractionating distilled products and re-treating theheavier fractions thereof; the provision of means for accurately anduniformly controlling the intermediate heating of the distilled productsprior to re-treatment; and the provision of means to increase the yieldof gasoline while maintaining the required boiling points of'thefractions finally condensed.

I attain my objects by providing a cracking still, a vapor line andfractionator there- ,for, a supplemental still into which thefractionator drains, a supplemental fractionator therefor, a condenser,vapor line connections from -both said fr'actionators to said condenser,and a pressure controlling valve in said vapor line to maintain uniformpressure on all parts of the system except the condenser, but permittingcondensation at a substantially lower pressure therein.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which thefigure is a diagram of the system without mechanical detail.

In the drawing, 1 indicates the cracking still, 2 the vapor linetherefrom to the fractionator 3 having a feed pipe 8, a vapor line 10,and a down pipe 1 into the supplemental still 5, which is connected byvapor line 9 to a supplemental fraotionator 6 also connected tothe-vapor line 10 and thence'toa pipe line 12 leading to the condenser13 from which suitable connection is effected to the storage tank 14.Stills 1 and 5 are heated by furnaces 1 and fifl'respectiv'ely.

In operation, the cracking still being filled with hydrocarbon oil tothe level .marked 15, is heated to approximately 750 F., whereuponvapors pass through the line 2 to the fractionator 3, wherein coolingand conden- I sation of the heavier fractions take place,

1922. Serial No. 565,635.

the lighter vapors passing over and into pipe hue 10. -The heavycondensate is thrown down and drains through pipe 4 into-thesupplemental still 5, which is filled to common liquid level 15,maintained through the pipe 7. Heat is applied to the supplemental still5 and the oil therein is redistilled at approximately 550 'F., thevapors produced passi1 1g through pipe 9 and fractionator 6 to pipe 10.through valve 11 and pass through pipe line 12 tothe condenser, wherethey are all condensed under pressure of twenty pounds or less. Theprocess is rendered continuous by supplying fresh oil through supplypipe 8, as the level 15 is lowered by withdrawals.

The advantages attained by the introduction of supplemental heatin thusdescribed,

These vapors are released will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

In the previous systems referred to, in which simutaneous cooling andrefluxing are car ried on, rising vapors are constantly carrymg andgiving up heat-to the condensed and condensing material already in therun-back or fractionator, so that \both cooling and heating effects areproduced, without control fractionator extending alongside said firstvfractionator and connected to said supplemental still, a condenser,vapor line connections from both said fractionators to said condenser, areturn pipe from the supplemental still to the cracking still, and afeed pipe connected to the first named fractionator for introducingfresh oil into the system through said fractionator andsaid'suppleinental still.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. I

FRANK E. WELLMAN.

